Naga DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · India (Nagaland) · South Asia
The Naga are a group of related peoples of the hills of Nagaland and neighbouring Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and northwestern Myanmar, among them the Angami, Ao, Sumi and Konyak, each with its own Tibeto-Burman language. Although they live within India's borders, their ancestry lies almost entirely to the east: in our model, the Naga average is 91.5% East Asian, with only 3.5% South Asian hunter-gatherer related ancestry (Irula proxy), 3.7% Ancient Northeast Asian and a 1.3% Papuan and Near Oceanian trace, far less South Asian ancestry than in the Newar (43.7%). The closest modern averages are Sumi and Poumai Naga samples (0.013 and 0.0135), followed by the Pumi, Tibetans and Qiang of southwestern China. The ancient matches are striking: Middle Neolithic people of the Yangshao culture from Gansu, on the upper Yellow River, at 0.0188 to 0.0206. Linguists and geneticists often link the spread of Sino-Tibetan languages to these early millet farmers, and the Naga result fits that picture well.
- Largest ancient components in our model: East Asian 91.5%, Ancient Northeast Asians 3.7%, South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) 3.5%
- Closest modern population in our data: Sumi (Naga), distance 0.0130
- Closest ancient group in our data: China Gansu MN Yangshao Gedachuan, distance 0.0188
Where does Naga DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Naga individuals sampled in India (Nagaland) and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Naga average
The ancient make-up of the Naga average is led by East Asian (91.5%), followed by Ancient Northeast Asians (3.7%) and South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) (3.5%). The East Asian component reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
Smaller traces of Ancient Northeast Asians, South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) and Papuan and Near Oceanian (under 5% each) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The fit is loose (fit distance 0.054), which usually means that none of the available reference populations is a close stand-in for part of this ancestry, so read the percentages as rough. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Closest modern populations to Naga
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Naga average is Sumi (Naga), at a distance of 0.013 (very close). Next come Poumai (Naga Manipur) at 0.014 and Pumi at 0.014. Even the tenth closest, Qiang (Danba), is only 0.025 away: Naga belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sumi (Naga) | 0.0130 | Very close |
| 2 | Poumai (Naga Manipur) | 0.0135 | Very close |
| 3 | Pumi | 0.0142 | Very close |
| 4 | Naga (Chakhesang) | 0.0147 | Very close |
| 5 | Naga (Myanmar) | 0.0174 | Very close |
| 6 | Tibetan (Yunnan) | 0.0182 | Very close |
| 7 | Gyalrong | 0.0202 | Very close |
| 8 | Qiang (Sichuan Garze Danba) | 0.0203 | Very close |
| 9 | Tibetan (Yajiang) | 0.0234 | Very close |
| 10 | Qiang (Danba) | 0.0248 | Very close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Naga
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Naga, China Gansu MN Yangshao Gedachuan (Middle Neolithic) comes first, at 0.019, with China Gansu MN Yangshao Wangjiayinwa next. That is a very close match, which suggests strong genetic continuity between those ancient people (or close relatives of theirs) and the modern population. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China Gansu MN Yangshao Gedachuan | Middle Neolithic | 0.0188 |
| 2 | China Gansu MN Yangshao Wangjiayinwa | Middle Neolithic | 0.0197 |
| 3 | China Gansu MN Yangshao Dadiwan | Middle Neolithic | 0.0206 |
| 4 | Tibet IA Agangrong | Iron Age | 0.0239 |
| 5 | China Shaanxi MN Yangshao Wuzhong | Middle Neolithic | 0.0243 |
| 6 | Tibet N Mabu Co | Neolithic | 0.0302 |
| 7 | China Shaanxi MN Yangshao Yangguanzhai | Middle Neolithic | 0.0308 |
| 8 | China Shaanxi MN Yangshao Dongying | Middle Neolithic | 0.0346 |
| 9 | Tibet Medieval Yushu | Medieval, c. 500-1500 AD | 0.0351 |
| 10 | China Shaanxi LN Yangshao-Longshan Miaoliang | Late Neolithic | 0.0355 |
Ancient DNA from India
Our ancient DNA database holds 59 individuals excavated in present-day India, dated from about 2,350 BC to 1860 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R2a (4), H1a (3) and J2b (3), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are M3 (6), H1 (4) and U2 (4). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Naga population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on India
- Blending borders: reconstructing the genetic history of the Sindhi population (2026)
- Blending borders: reconstructing the genetic history of the Sindhi population (2026)
- The Old Lady spider cave skeletons in Ladakh have diverse maternal genetic origin (2026)
- Layers in the sand: The genetic imprint of migration, culture, and Indus craft in the Thar desert (2026)
- Admixture and Genetic Connectivity: Autosomal Insights Into Indo-Aryan Speakers at the Eastern Edge of the Indian Subcontinent (2026)
- Novel 4400-year-old ancestral component in a tribe speaking a Dravidian language (2025)
- Ancient mitogenomes from Neolithic, megalithic and medieval burials suggest complex genetic history of Kashmir valley, India (2025)
- 50,000 years of evolutionary history of India: Impact on health and disease variation (2025)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 59 from India.
Compare yourself with Naga
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Naga average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Naga and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
Keep in mind that a population average is a statistical summary of a limited number of sampled individuals. Real people inside any group vary, some carry more of one ancestry and some less, and no genetic profile decides who is or is not Naga. Use these numbers as a map of deep ancestry, not as a label.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Naga average. For your own DNA, Advanced Ancestry Report (16€) gives a full ancestry breakdown with no regional focus, in a personal PDF report.
Comprehensive DNA analysis comparing your genetics to over 2,000 modern reference populations.
More populations from South Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Naga?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Naga average is about 91.5% East Asian, 3.7% Ancient Northeast Asians and 3.5% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Naga?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Naga average are Sumi (Naga), Poumai (Naga Manipur) and Pumi. The closest ancient matches are China Gansu MN Yangshao Gedachuan, China Gansu MN Yangshao Wangjiayinwa and China Gansu MN Yangshao Dadiwan.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Naga?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Naga average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Naga ancestry?
Our regional report for this part of the world does not fit the Naga average closely, so the full Advanced Ancestry Report (no regional focus) is the better choice. The DNA Mega-Analysis adds Neanderthal %, traits and closest ancient populations. The free Report Finder checks every report against your own DNA first.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.